Uncanny X-Men #11 (SPOILERS/DISCUSSION)

[Rosebunse]

If you are a A-list

I think Ruth has a chance, but the other two are dead. Well,
Velocidad isn't dead, just much closer to being dead.

[Personamanx]

No judgement on the execution, it could very well read in a satisfactory manner. My only judgement comes as someone who keeps tabs on the X-Men books largely just to see if I'm missing out on anything that might be a rewarding read. It doesn't sound like I'm missing out on anything by not reading the current Uncanny. It doesn't appear to offer anything that cannot be found in a multitude of currently published comic books. There certainly doesn't appear to be anything unique about it that I find appealing in any case.

In a year's time, if I hear solid things about the title as it reaches some form of conclusion I may read it over a few cups of coffee on MDCU. If there's enjoyment to be found, I'll find it there and then.

[Graconius]

This was so edgy it should have Taylor Swifts as soundtrack.

[Leirus]

I think Ruth has a chance, but the other two are dead. Well,
Velocidad isn't dead, just much closer to being dead.

That is, if all of this is permanent. The x-men are off in their own pocket dimension. Maybe at the end of Age of X-Man they come back at the moment they left and avoid all this, including the spread of the mutant vaccine. This certainly reads a bit like what a writer would do with the X-men if he had not to worry about the line wide consequences. They mention the goverment is killing and deporting mutant kids right inf front of Captain America. That feels weird. Maybe Rosenberg is using the fact that we are so used to minor characters being killed all willy nilly to make us buy into what actually is a what if of sorts. He did the same with Rictor in New Mutantys Dead Souls. I can even imagine an epilogue with Blindfold now seeing multiple futures for her. I am kind of reading this like an alternate universe mini, and a pretty good one.

[cranger]

I know we're all focusing on the lame deaths and repetitive story, but another terrible thing that jumps out at me is the mindbogglingly terrible use of Jaime and Layla.

They've never met. He is not that child's father.
And yet they're acting like a married couple. They're acting like the original Jaime (Layla's husband and father of her child) being dead is just a fun anecdote.

Presumably they met after the end of the Madrox mini (it is referenced.) As for fatherhood and husbandly duties, he is certainly that as much as Cyclops is the father of Nate or Rachel, but just what dupes are is something that I suppose only matters to Layla.

That said, yes, Rosenberg did not do Layla and Madrox any favours even if he was seemingly undoing the travesty of Soule's DoX.

[gambit2051]

A couple things to reply to in regards to Rosenbergs response...
1. He knows he screwed up pretty badly. That is evident based on his Twitterstorm in reaction to how he wrote Ruth's "story". He posted such a long reaction that it is honestly too long to read all of it in order to properly respond. He also posted links to Suicide Prevention Lines and other ways to seek help. I just hope there is an apology in there because...

2. NO MATTER THE STORY REASONS AND EVEN IF RUTH IS BROUGHT BACK TO LIFE (like even I will admit could be a planned story point depending on where they are going with it) Rosenberg STILL used someone DECIDING TO KILL THEMSELVES as a huge story point to begin whatever his planned story is. Bringing her back would almost be worse at this point because it would have made a rather BIG DEAL about Ruth CHOOSING Suicide when in reality SHE WAS CHOOSING TO LIVE BECAUSE HER POWERS WOULD HAVE SHOWN HER THAT.

3. All those deaths that everyone states were visions of her possible deaths in the future...those could have been visions FROM ANY of the possible PASTS or Futures Ruth has seen. Those could have been ways PREVIOUS MISSIONS would have ended for her if she did not have her powers to know to avoid that fate. Read all of the previous stories with Ruth as a primary character (focus on Astonishing X-Men (Whedon oc), New X-Men (Yost & Kyle), Young X-Men, & X-Men Legacy v2) to get an idea on her powers that Rosenberg decided to just throw away. It is not like Ruth has not foreseen her own death before and even noted how it seemed inevitable. She has seen DOZENS of her own classmates butchered in New X-Men, seen teammates die, she has been to hell, etc... but now she decides to kill herself...

4. If this is just a way to start a conversation, it is a REALLY poor job...a much better way that could have used Ruth's powers is showing hints of phantom versions of Cyclops, Wolverine, and Jamie saying or asking a question that led to her living longer and none of them do because they are too destroyed themselves at the time to offer help. Ruth's suicide due to their negligence could have been a great rallying cry for Cyclops and Logan to step up and get back to protecting mutants. To try and make sure that they never allow anyone, not just mutants, to feel so hopeless as Ruth did and to make sure that they do not allow their own inaction to lead to such tragedy again. It could have been a great way to open up readers to reaching out to anyone that they might believe could be going through a hard time and might need someone to listen or just talk...BUT instead we get Ruth deciding that suicide is where her visions are leading...in this storyline Ruth is still dead and...

5. Cyclops could have used her death as his rallying cry RATHER THAN MAKING THE AVENGERS LOOK LIKE TONE-DEAF FASCISTS whose excuse is that they don't want to be there but Hate Rally's (where they are preaching violence against others btw) also deserve to have super-powered protection in order to spread their hate message...Rosenberg has smeared the Avengers in a way that I can guarantee that almost no one at Marvel thought all the way through, especially in the current social climate.

Last 6. I am happy to see Cyclops and Logan running things again, and bloodbath aside, seeing them fight on the same side again was cool.

[King_Thor13]

1. The death of Loa served no real purpose. I understand the tone they're shooting for, but they could have achieved the same thing by killing off Ernst, Ink, Jimmy Hudson or Match, and in going that route have avoided killing off a likable character that some X-Fans have been asking to return for years. Now that she's gone, I can't ever see her coming back, unless if Elixir is in play or X-Man/Legion 'set it right' once AoXM wraps. The death of another POC is frustrating to say the least, particularly when white male characters continue to be the leads in Marvel. I'm also confused as to why Loa was still in 616 in the first place, as we her (and Indra) when Jean issued her distress call in X-Men Disassembled. Did X-Man leave her behind when he crafted his new reality? Or is this another instance of Editorial oversight?

2. I was glad to see Chamber, as he was one of the glaring omissions from Disassembled & Age of X-Man that really bothered me (alongside Blink, Dust & Hellion). I'm sad for my boy Jono though- in addition to having lost all his friends and colleagues, he lost his girlfriend Jubilee too, one of the few X-Men we've seen him connect with. I understand his disdain towards Cyclops right now, and I'm sure being among the angsty Morlocks certainly won't help his temperament. I'm not sure it's the direction I would have taken his character but I guess I should be grateful he isn't dead.

3. Multiple Man: "every mutant I know got killed, locked up, deported or went underground". This worries me. There remain so many X-Men unaccounted for, and some of the less favored X-peeps could very well at risk. It's concerning that Blink, Danger, Dust, Face, Hellion, Hindsight, Mondo, Pyro, Siryn etc. are out there somewhere and aren't attached to any titles right now. It seems like Editorial is culling X-Men, and if they aren't in the Age of X-Man right now then they're probably at risk.

4. Black Widow mentions both the MLF and The Brotherhood in her little chat with Logan, as groups who might cause an 'incident' at the anti-mutant rally. I assume this means both of them are taking a very active stance when it comes to mutant rights, as they should. I'd like to think the Brotherhood lineup established in X-Men Blue (Exodus, Elixir, Unuscione, Marrow, Toad + Briar) are still together.

5. Where the hell is Xavier in all this? I'm certain X can easily cover his tracks but you'd think he'd be getting involved in this mayhem when the lives of fellow Children of the Atom are at risk. Knowing Rosenberg, X could very well be a piece of the puzzle but I question why he didn't jump at the opportunity to reunite with his pet projects aka Scott and Logan.

6. Emma Frost. Again, another mutant who could very easily avoid detection. I just question why she would remain passive in all this. Mutants are dying, being detained and forced into hiding. With her newly acquired Hellfire Club, surely she's capable of aiding them. I'm adamant that if she knew Cyclops was out there she'd reach out too, so it's interesting that Logan was the only one to answer Cyclops' call and attend the meetup at Westchester. I'm not even certain I want Rosenberg writing Emma, but it's important to me that she's acknowledged at least.

7. Sunspot. 'Citizen X' wasn't swept up in the Age of X-Man and his location hasn't been disclosed as of yet. Is he laying low somewhere? I've a sneaky suspicion he might be the fellow X-Man mentioned in the solicits leading the MLF, and not Revanche as we initially suspected. He's another important mutant that ought to have an important role in this most recent decimation of mutant-kind.

8. All of these plot-lines often don't touch mutants that aren't X-Men. What do the public think of Justice, Manifold, Darkstar, Molly Hayes etc.? Are they getting the same treatment as the others? Or are they glorified heroes like the rest of the MU?

9. I guess that answers the question of whether or not the X-Mansion will remain in Central Park. God knows where they'll end up when they get back (if they even have enough students left to open a school that is). I suspect that we might actually move away from that concept, or it'll become more limited, as all indications from Jordan White and some of the writers is that they feel the teaching roles and attachment to the school holds the X-Men back. My concern is that if they go this route we won't be seeing our New X-Men very often, and that's if they even survive the current climate.

10. So General Callahan has the New Mutants and Havok detained right? Gods I can't wait for that breakout. I'm all for Cyclops being back but after many years of Wolverine being the leading X-Man I'm still not sure I even want him back. I look forward to the inclusion of Magik, Dani Moonstar & Banshee in the series because I'm not sure I have enough motivation to stick with it right now.

11. Blindfold. Her death broke my heart a little. How long did she know her fate? Did Destiny foresee it years ago? Could it have been avoided? It's tragic really, and even more tragic that none of her loved ones were able to be there for her. As another character that's been used sparingly, it doesn't surprise me that she was considered expendable by Editorial. The way in which she dies was quite graphic in nature, and perhaps harmful in its execution, but I do maintain that it made me feel something, and I'm not sure I can say the same for many X-Books of recent years.

[majormcmeat]

Presumably they met after the end of the Madrox mini (it is referenced.) As for fatherhood and husbandly duties, he is certainly that as much as Cyclops is the father of Nate or Rachel, but just what dupes are is something that I suppose only matters to Layla.

That said, yes, Rosenberg did not do Layla and Madrox any favours even if he was seemingly undoing the travesty of Soule's DoX.

Was it really so hard to just have Jaime show up saying "I have no idea why that dupe thought he was me. These guys are weird sometimes"?
There is no character whose death is easier to undo, but Rosenberg went completely nuts with it.

[U.N. Owen]

Place your bets, people. How long until the X-Men start punching each other?

[majormcmeat]

Place your bets, people. How long until the X-Men start punching each other?

Next issue. If not Wolverine, SOMEONE will attack Cyclops and blame him for everything.

[Can'tHexTheX]

Cyclops is back and Uncanny is in the middle of a Decimation. Can this character be used for any other story?

There's the other story where he gets to react to the death of an X-Woman.

[gambit2051]

Just story related: The X-Men are pretty much guaranteed to be imprisoned in Legions head. It is the only place Nate could have sent so many people at once without much prior thought where there was space and he could control the world. DC did this with the Justice Leage and Firestorm in Forever Evil, and it could be cool...BUT we already had an X-Men Event where that EXACT premise was used in AGE OF X. Except Legion controlled things that time, now it will be Nate.

It would be a lot cooler if Nate had actually been planning for awhile and already had a pocket universe whipped up with even blank bodies for everyone he could plan for. So when he destroyed the X-Men, he could have moved their minds to the other Dimension. The issue now would be for the X-Men to figure out how they can all return when all of their bodies were destroyed. Hell, you could even bring back copies of dead characters that were created by Nate using the collective memories of the X-Men. This would have been the way to bring Cyclops back in my opinion, he could even have the memories of Young Cyclops because of the collective memories everyone has of him. That could have added an interesting layer to Cyclops, he could even be aware of how EVERY X-MAN/WOMAN viewed him, and because he was such a strong figure in all of their lives it could be the proverbial crack in the armor that leads to Nates downfall.

I really liked Rosenbergs Havok run on Astonishing X-Men. It was actually a pretty hopeful title even though all of the characters were down on their luck X-Men trying to find their way again. Watching Havok plead with teenage X-Men to join him in the 1st issue was hilarious and depressing because it showed how far Havok had fallen but that he was still going to try nonetheless.

[gifted]

I finally read the issue and I take back what I said about Rosenberg's Twitter thread. I see what he was trying to do, but it was poorly executed.

[AJpyro]

5. Cyclops could have used her death as his rallying cry RATHER THAN MAKING THE AVENGERS LOOK LIKE TONE-DEAF FASCISTS whose excuse is that they don't want to be there but Hate Rally's (where they are preaching violence against others btw) also deserve to have super-powered protection in order to spread their hate message...Rosenberg has smeared the Avengers in a way that I can guarantee that almost no one at Marvel thought all the way through, especially in the current social climate.

This is another point of contention. I truly believe TPTB are still firmly in the "AvX" mindset. There was different ways to write that scene but going with this should've been the last way.

[Godlike13]

The art was meh, but I dug the Cyke. **** you Rodgers